Harry Potter: Changeling
by wizmage
Summary: Unable to have a child, Lily Potter makes a deal with an fae, but deals with the fae always come with a hidden catch.
1. Chapter 1

_**One**_

Lily sighed as she closed the book and threw it onto the growing pile beside her. Leaning back in her chair, she rubbed her temples tiredly. Waving her hand, the lights in the room dimmed. She sighed in relief. Her eyes were aching from looking at all those books. She smiled to herself. Magic was really a grand thing sometimes.

As this thought occurred to her, her smile became a frown. _I'm a witch,_ she thought, _and I can't even find a fertility spell._

She felt warm arms wrap around her, hugging her tightly. She jumped, but then saw a head of messy black hair behind her. Her smile returned.

"Hello love," James said, squeezing her gently. . "How was your day off?"

Lily turned and kissed him on the lips. She breathed deeply, inhaling his familiar sent. He smelled of wand polish, ink, and parchment. "I didn't hear you flu in," she said, running her fingers through his hair.

Keeping one arm around her, James drew out the chair beside her and sat down. He lifted her onto his lap, causing her to squeak in surprise. "I apparated to the village; then walked up to the house. I thought the night air would do me good. I was stuck in the office all day, and it was such a nice day too; did you go out and enjoy it?"

A slight frown crossed Lily's face. "No," she said, some of the cheerfulness leaving her voice. "I wanted to read these books while I had some time off."

James drew his wand from his robes, and flicked it. A small bottle of brandy flew into the room.

He wasn't as good at wandless magic as his wife was something that she teased him about mercilessly. He pulled the cork out of the bottle, and flicked his wand again, conjuring a glass out of thin air.

Lily frowned. "Have you eaten yet?"

James shook his head, and poured a miniscule amount of the brandy into the glass. "Nope, I wanted to eat with you." He gestured at the books with the hand holding his wand. "I take it you haven't found anything?"

A flash of irritation crossed Lily's face, and she turned away from James so he wouldn't see it.

How could he do that? How could he just speak so casually of something that meant so much to her? She scowled down at the books, glaring at them as if they had offended her, and, in a way, they had.

She had been desperately searching for a spell or ritual for months now. That ritual was her only hope. James just could not understand that. After all, he wasn't the one who would be required to carry the child, and not just any child, but the heir to an ancient and noble wizarding family. She sighed. It may be time to consider her last option. A shudder ran through her. She really didn't want to go there if she could help it. Dealing with Them could be very dangerous.

James's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Lily? Are you listening?"

Lily looked at James startled. She had heard him speaking, but she hadn't registered the words. "What?" she said distractedly.

James stared at her for a moment in silence, and let out a huff of frustration. "That answers my question. I see that you haven't found anything today." His voice took on a gentle tone. "Don't you think we should consider other options?"

Lily flinched at his words. She knew what other options meant, but she wouldn't consider that yet, not when she still had one thing left she could try.

But would James understand? He didn't have to be the one that would bear the heir to one of the most influential magical families in Britain. Would he go along with her plan? It would give him a child, but it would be dealing with some very dangerous forces that the wizarding world hadn't had contact with in centuries.

No, she couldn't tell him. The chance of him refusing was too high, but she had to convince him to give her a little more time.

"What other options did you have in mind?" She asked cautiously.

James smiled. She sounded like she was willing to listen at least. "Maybe we could consider adopting. This war is destroying a lot of families, and there are a lot of orphaned children out there that could use a good home. What do you think?"

Lily shook her head immediately. "No not yet, there are still other things we can try."

James let out a frustrated breath. She could be so stubborn sometimes. Why couldn't she just listen? The odds of them having a child of their own were very low, but they could adopt, and there was the blood adoption ritual. Which, when performed, would insure that any child they adopted would be theirs by blood.

"Lily," he said trying to keep his voice calm. "We have tried everything to reverse the curse, but nothing has worked. If we want children, we need to consider other options."

Lily winced at his words. He was right of course. They had tried everything to reverse the curse that was placed on her.

There were many secrets in the world, and James and Lily happened to be one of those secrets.

They were a wizard and witch, respectively, and they weren't alone. There was a whole world of magic that had been around since time began, and the Muggles, 'the humans with no magic,' had no idea.

However, a world of magic was not a fairytale. It had its own dangers. It's most terrifying threat was a wizard named Lord Voldemort, and his followers who called themselves, 'Death Eaters.'

This group of wizards and witches believed that magic should only be kept in those families of pure blood. That meant, according to them, any family that could trace their magical ancestry back at least four generations. They believed that first generation witches and wizards should be exterminated. Unfortunately for Lily, she fell into that category.

She scowled. She'd thought blatant racism would not be present in the magical world, but it was even worse here than it was in the muggle world. To make matters worse, magicals could place curses on each other that made muggle weapons pale in comparison. Such a curse had been placed on Lily.

HPC

It had been a routine day in Diagon Alley. The wizarding shipping district had been thriving with life, until the Death Eaters came.

The attack had begun with a bang. Buildings had been set ablaze, filling the air with the smell of smoke and burning. Lily had immediately begun trying to help her fellow witches and wizards escape the alley. At some point during the attack, Lily had been hit in the abdomen with a bright purple curse.

She had felt indescribable agony for a split second, and then it was gone. After the fight was over, she had gone to see a Healer, who had given her the bad news.

The curse that had been placed on her was a powerful sterilization curse. The healer had theorized that it was probably an old family curse.

"Without knowing which curse it is, we can't reverse it and the longer the curse stays on you; the harder it will be to break."

HPC

"Lily?" James's voice was gentle.

Lily turned to look at him, and James saw tears rolling down her cheeks. "I just want a child of my own." she whispered. "Is that too much to ask for?"

James reached out and hugged her tight. "No Love," he said stroking her hair. "There is no shame in that. I think every Mother would rather have a child that was theirs. It's only natural."

Lily pulled herself together and drew away from James. "I'll think about adoption," she said wiping her eyes. "Could you give me a week or so?"

James nodded. "Of course, take all the time you need." Kissing her cheek, he stood. "I was thinking of going to the leaky cauldron for some takeaway, is that alright with you?"

Lily smiled at him, and her stomach growled loudly at the mention of food. "That sounds fine."

"Do you have any preference?" James asked.

"No, just get me whatever you have."

James nodded, and left the room after giving her one last squeeze.

When he was gone, Lily let out a sigh of relief. At least she would have a little time to decide whether she wanted to contact them or not. She wanted a child of her own, but she had to ask herself, did she want a child bad enough to contact the fae?

The fae were one of the mysteries of the wizarding world. What information Lily could find on them was scattered and contradictory. The one thing all the texts could agree on was that the fae had the power of Glamour. This was not only the power to shapeshift, but also the ability to manipulate reality around them for a desired effect. They could make swords and spears from pure magic, and some were even said to be able to make whole kingdoms with their will alone. With the power to manipulate reality, Lily hoped they would be able to lift the curse upon her. There was, however, a slight problem. Contacting the fae was expressly forbidden.

Centuries ago, the wizards had started a war with the fae. The wizards believed only they should have magic, and the fae disagreed, strongly.

The fae believed that any creature that was born with magic deserved to have it, and fought in defense of all the magical creatures. Of course, this was not the way the war was portrayed in official histories, but you could tell what really happened during the war by reading between the lines.

The fae were far more powerful than wizards, but were fewer in number. It turned out that the fae bread far slower than even magical humans.

The fae were defeated. The wizards planned to enslave them, but before they could, the nobility of the fae interfered. They gathered as many of the fae as they could and left the mortal world, retreating to their own realm.

The wizarding government, 'The Ministry of Magic,' was furious at the loss of their potential slaves. They forbade any contact with the fae, under penalty of death. They gathered up the minor fae, those that the faerie nobility were unable to gather, and bound them to rich pureblood families.

Lily looked down at the pile of books. That had been centuries ago. Would the 'house elves,' as the minor fae were now known, be willing to help contact their brethren? How much trouble would she be in if she contacted the fae? Surely, the laws that forbade contact with them wouldn't still be enforced.

She stood, and began packing the books away. Even if she could find a way around the law, she had no way of contacting the fae, and no way of forcing them to help her. Sighing, she turned and left the library. She would research the fae. That wouldn't cause any harm. Maybe she would find a way to make a pact with them.

At the door she paused. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She had the strangest feeling of being watched. She looked back at the room, but it was empty. '_It's just hunger,'_ she thought. '_I'm starting to imagine things.'_ She left the room, closing the door behind her.

HPC

A figure stood in the corner of the room. It watched Lily intently. She had good instincts. For a moment there, they thought she had seen them. She had definitely sensed them. That meant that she had at least a little fae blood in her. That was interesting. This would be worth looking into a little further. But in the meantime, she would do for what was needed. She was magically strong, for a human, and she would make a good Mother. The only question was when should she make contact? It would not do to make contact too soon. Maybe it would be best to wait for a few days. Let her find out how difficult the wizards had made it to contact the fae, and then, when she was desperate, she would not refuse the deal.

The figure smiled. Yes, this was a good plan. All they had to do was be patient, and patients were something you learned when you were immortal. Stepping back, the figure vanished from the room, leaving no trace that they had ever been there.

HPC

Lily slipped into bed beside James, stretching luxuriously as the warm blankets covered her. Lying down on her back, she stared up at the ceiling and thought about the past few days.

When Lily had returned to work, her first stop had been the Ministry archives. She was disappointed to find that the laws were indeed still enforced. Apparently, there had been a wizard in the 1890's who had attempted to contact the fae and been discovered. He had been pushed through the Vail of death the very next day.

Disappointed though she was, Lily was not deterred. She searched for any other instants where the law had been enforced, but found none. She considered. Finding nothing could mean one of two things.

First, either no one else had tried to contact the fay. Lily found this unlikely. When you told someone not to do something, it was more likely that they'd do exactly what you told them not to do.

The second option was the one Lily thought much more likely. Wizards and witches had contacted the fae, and they just hadn't gotten caught, but how did they do it? Try as she might, Lily could not find an answer to that question.

Lily rolled over onto her side and stared at the wall. It might be time to exceed to James's wishes and adopt. There didn't appear to be any way of lifting the curse. She would talk to him about adopting tomorrow. As she slipped towards sleep, she smiled. At least she would have a child of her own, even if she didn't give birth to it.

HPC

The figure watched as Lily slipped into sleep. It was time to act.

HPC

Lily blinked. She raised one hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight. Wait sunlight? Where was she? She took stock of her surroundings. She could hear gulls screeching and the hissing roar of the ocean. She felt sand beneath her feet. Was she on a beach?

"What do you think of my home?"

Lily spun around and stared. Behind her, stood the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Every feature was exquisitely sculpted.

She was tall and supernaturally slender, with long auburn hair that hung to her shoulders in soft waves. Golden green eyes stared at Lily expectantly, and soft full lips were parted in a smile revealing perfect white teeth.

The woman stepped forward, extending a slim, long-fingered hand. "Welcome to Avalon," she said, taking Lily's hand and kissing the back of it.

Lily shuddered as the woman's soft lips touched her skin. Tingling warmth spread from the place that the woman had kissed and seemed to infuse her whole body. With an effort, she pushed the warmth away, and cleared her throat.

"I do not mean to offend, but who are you? And what am I doing here?"

The woman chuckled lightly. "You were always curious, weren't you?" She sobered and looked Lily straight in the eye. . "I can help you with your current trouble."

Lily looked at the woman confused. "Trouble, "What trouble are you talking about?"

"The war between the wizards for starters; I also know that you are having difficulty conceiving a child."

Lily started and stared at her. Who was this woman?

The only one that knew of Lily's inability to conceive was James and her healer, and this woman definitely wasn't either of them, so how could she know about it. She was brought out of her thoughts when the woman spoke again.

"I can remove the sterility curse. It can be done right now."

Lily felt as if she'd been struck with a padded hammer. The roar of the ocean and the cries of the gulls suddenly sounded very far away. A warm hand on her cheek brought her out of her shock.

"You need not fear me. Nothing and no one will harm you while you are here."

"Who are you?" Lily whispered, her lips barely forming the words.

"I am Vivienne, the queen of Avalon, and the lady of the lake."

"But, but, she died centuries ago," Lily stammered. "How could you be her, unless. . ."

Vivienne smiled. "Unless I am a fae," she said gently, "An elf to be more exact."

"You are an elf," Lily whispered, "but elves are..." She paused not wanting to offend her hostess.

Vivienne nodded and smiled as if she knew exactly what Lily was thinking. "The elves you are thinking of are what we call 'Brownies', helpful household faeries.

The true elves are the nobility of the fae. We are the only group of fae that can successfully breed with humans. We are also known as the Sidhe in Ireland and the Fair Folk in Scotland."

Lily cleared her throat. This was a lot to take in. She decided to ask another question. "You knew King Arthur?"

Vivienne blinked, and chuckled. "Yes, I knew King Arthur, and let me tell you, he's not the kind and noble king that he was presented to be in the stories."

'_What about Merlin,'_ Lily thought, but did not say.

"Merlin was a Changeling," Vivienne said conversationally. "He had nothing to do with demons. Other than that, the rest of those stories are pretty accurate."

Lily jumped. '_Did she just read my mind?'_ She thought of asking what a changeling was, but decided not to.

Vivienne smiled. "We used to exchange children with wizarding families. Merlin was one of those children. The elves we left were called Changelings. Would you like to sit down?" She asked when Lily looked a little faint.

Lily nodded dumbly. She looked around for a chair, but saw none.

Vivienne raised a hand casually. There was no flashy incantation, no complicated wave, or intricate motion, it simply looked as if she'd seen someone she knew, and was raising a hand in greeting.

A canvas folding chair appeared on the sand next to Lily. A cup holder with a glass of ice water was attached to the right arm of the chair. Lily stared at it wide-eyed.

She had never seen such an advanced conjuration, and with such little effort too. She looked at Vivienne, and saw she was sitting in a chair too, calmly sipping from her own glass of water.

Hesitantly, Lily sat down, and picked up her glass. She took a sip, and her eyes closed in pleasure. The water was as sweet and smooth as honey.

"The waters of Avalon were always the best," Vivienne said with a contented sigh. "They convey long life, and have healing properties. Do you like it?"

"It's wonderful," Lily said. She took another sip, and stared at Vivienne.

Vivienne looked back at her, an expectant expression on her face. Finally, Lily asked the question Vivienne had been waiting for.

"Can you read minds?"

Vivienne laughed. "No child, I just know that the wizards forbade contact with the fae a long time ago, and I thought you might be curious about certain things."

Lily nodded. "You said you could help me have a child. How can you do that, and why would you help me?"

Vivienne sat silent for several moments, staring into her glass of water. A pained expression crossed her face. "I always wanted a child of my own, you know? But alas, I have no husband to aid me in bearing a child, and haven't in a long time. Maybe I just want to help you, so you won't go through what I have."

"What is the catch? I assume there is one?"

Vivienne shook her head. "Not in the sense that you are thinking of. All I ask is that you love any children that you have. Spend time with them, read them stories, do everything that a Mother would do. If you agree to do that, I'll remove the curse, and make sure you conceive a child. Are we agreed?"

Lily started to agree immediately, but then she hesitated. It was said that the fae could not outright lie, but were the elves, 'as the strongest of the fae,' bound by such restrictions?

Was there some secret motive that Vivienne wasn't telling her about? Did it matter? Did she even have a choice?

If she didn't agree to Vivienne's terms she wouldn't be able to have a child, and there would never be an heir for the Potter family. A voice spoke up inside her mind.

'_You know you aren't without options. You could always adopt. James was right. There are a lot of orphaned children because of the war. You could give them a good home.'_

Lily shook her head. No, this was her chance to have a child that was hers. She would not pass it up. She sat up straight, and looked Vivienne in the eye.

"I agree to your terms," she said determinedly. "I will love any children I have, and be the best Mother I can be."

Vivienne stood. "Our bargain has been made," she said solemnly. She leaned over, kissing Lily on the forehead. "It is done."

HPC

Lily awoke with a start, and sat bolt upright in bed. '_Was that a dream?'_ she wondered. She felt a cold weight in her right hand.

She looked down, and saw she was still holding the glass of water Vivienne had given her. Placing the glass on the table, Lily lay back down. Thinking of her deal with Vivienne, Lily hoped she hadn't made a big mistake, but really, what could be the harm in loving any children she might have? She would always love her children, no matter what happened.

A/N

I own nothing related to Harry Potter. No copyright is intended.

This story is dedicated to my girlfriend, Sarah. I love you, Beautiful.

This story was posted under my other penname Allen89, but I decided to move it here.


	2. TwoChapter 2

_**Two**_

Albus Dumbledore dropped heavily in to his chair, and rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them. He wasn't as young as he used to be, and the cold seemed to sink into his old bones more than it used to. He could see the wind blowing snow up against the castle, and rustling the branches of the trees around the black lake. He was grateful not to be out in that weather anymore.

It had been a long day, and it wasn't over yet. He withdrew his wand from his robes, and waved it casually.

A teapot, saucer, and cup appeared on the desk in front of him. With another wave, the teapot pored the cup full of steaming tea. Dumbledore pulled a bottle of whisky out from a cabinet, and added a generous amount to his tea. He took a long swig and sighed in contentment. Even in times of war, it was good to have these moments to relax. The thought of war made him scowl.

He was an old man, too old to be fighting. But there was no one else. He was the only one who could lead the forces of light to victory. He smiled as he thought of the interview he'd had earlier today. That interview could bring an end to the war, one way or another.

The day had started off like any other winter day. Dumbledore had arranged a general staff meeting, went to the ministry to arrange trials for the captured Death Eaters, and lastly, went to an interview with a prospective divination teacher.

He scowled at the thought of divination. He would never admit it out loud, but he viewed the entire subject as useless. It wasn't really even magic strictly speaking, and most of the so-called prophecies were self-fulfilling. But . . .

What he'd heard today was disturbing. It could cause the death of an entire family, but it could also end the war against Voldemort once and for all. The question was… What was he going to do about it, or more accurately, was he going to do anything about it?

He knew what he should do. The death of a few was a small price to pay for the survival of the many, but was he the right person to make that decision? Yes, he decided. He was the one the prophecy had been given to. Therefore, he was the one who would decide if someone lived or died. It was a heavy burden to bare, but someone had to make the hard decisions.

A sad smile appeared on Dumbledore's face. This would be a small price to pay for the survival of the wizarding world. He allowed his thoughts to turn to the interview he had just come from.

He had decided to have the meeting in the Hogs Head, a pub owned and operated by his brother Aberforth. Dumbledore believed it would be a safe place for an interview. Besides, he didn't believe he would hear anything concerning the war while interviewing a prospective teacher. He turned out to be wrong on both counts.

HPC

When he'd first met Sybil Trelawney, Dumbledore had thought her to be a charlatan, trying to ride the coattails of her famous Grandmother, Cassandra, who'd had a reputation of being a true seer. Even a skeptic like Dumbledore was willing to admit that she may have had a bit of a gift for seeing the future. She had predicted the rise of Grindelwald and Hitler, and also predicted the dates on which both would be defeated, so Dumbledore believed she was either very lucky at guessing, or she was a seer.

However, it was painfully obvious that Trelawney possessed no gift for guesswork, or mystical powers of foresight. She put on a faraway otherworldly act that would not have fooled a six year old. She spoke of predicting great and terrible events, but when pressed, she told Dumbledore that the ancient forces would not permit her to speak of what she had seen. So Dumbledore had asked her to tell him something about himself that no one else knew.

"Very well," she had said in her soft misty voice. "I don't usually use my gift for such trivial matters, but if you must have proof of my talent, then so be it."

She took on a slightly glazed look that made Dumbledore wonder if she'd had a bit of brandy before coming to the meeting. After several moments of silence, she spoke.

"You had a pet Hamster that you named Twinkles. You use to let it run around in your bedroom." Trelawney laughed merrily as if she were seeing the funniest thing in the world. "It used to chew your sheets, and your Mother would get so angry. What's this? Aw, you are cuddling it now. Did you play with your hamster a lot, Professor Dumbledore, sir?"

Dumbledore was even more certain she'd had a drink before coming here, maybe more than one. That or she was just crazy. He'd never had a pet hamster, and wouldn't even know where to find one. It was clear that Trelawney had no idea what she was talking about. He was about to thank her for her time, and tell her that unfortunately, he didn't think she was right for the position, when Trelawney changed.

She sat bolt upright in her chair, and her eyes began to roll. When she spoke again, her voice was no longer soft and misty, but harsh and cold as a breath of winter wind. Hearing those cold tones made Dumbledore shiver.

"The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches, born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies."

At this point, Dumbledore heard a scuffle outside. He ignored it, straining to hear what Trelawney was saying.

"And the dark lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the dark lord knows not, and one must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord will be born as the seventh month dies."

Trelawney shuddered, and went limp, almost falling out of her chair.

Dumbledore was opening his mouth to say her name, when she jerked and stared at him, confused.

"I'm so sorry Professor; I must have dropped off for a moment. Please forgive my rudeness."

Dumbledore heard himself saying something, but his mind was elsewhere. Was that an actual prophecy, and even if it wasn't, could he use it to his advantage? Would Voldemort believe such a prophecy?

There was a polite knock on the door. Dumbledore and Trelawney both jumped.

"Enter," Dumbledore called.

Aberforth poked his head into the room. "I thought you'd like to know," he growled. "There was a spy listening in on your interview. I threw him out, but I hope you didn't hear anything important in here," he said this last with a slight roll of his eyes.

Dumbledore's blood ran cold. Did this spy hear the prophecy? "Do you know if he heard anything?"

Aberforth snorted. "I would think so. He looked really relaxed, said something about a prophecy, but I wasn't really paying attention."

Dumbledore sighed. "Thank you, Aberforth," he said sincerely. It looked like the decision regarding the prophecy had been taken out of his hands.

HPC

Albus finished his tea in one long swig. He put the cup down on the saucer and stood up. He had been forced to hire Trelawney for her own protection, but that didn't solve the problem. What was he going to do about Voldemort? He knew how the dark wizard would react to the prophecy.

Voldemort would kill the child. He was paranoid and fearful of death. Therefore, it was inconceivable that he would allow a threat to his life to exist, even if that threat was a child. Dumbledore knew that Voldemort's goal was to obtain immortality, but he had no idea how far he'd gone to lengthen his lifespan.

Stretching, feeling his spine crackle, He let out a jaw cracking yawn. He needed to get to bed. He would try and think of a solution to this problem in the morning.

HPC

Severus snape shivered, and pulled his robes closer around him. He looked around the room he was in and winced inwardly.

The room was large, about 30 feet by 30 feet. Moisture dripped down the stone walls giving it a cave-like feel. There was no furniture in the room, save a high thrown in the center of the room.

The thrown was made of interlocking polished bones. Snape thought that some of the bones looked like human bones. The thought made a chill run down his spine. Shaking with fear, Snape approached the thrown, and knelt before it, bowing his head respectfully.

The man sitting on the thrown was the source of Snape's fear. This was his master, the one he'd sworn to serve for the rest of his life, Lord Voldemort.

Voldemort was tall and thin. He looked emaciated, as if a strong wind would blow him away. His face was lean and hairless, completely smooth like polished marble. His mouth was a lipless gash, looking as if it had been cut into his face with a knife. His long black hair was streaked with silver. Falling to just below his shoulders. It was held away from his face with a metal headband. He stared down at Snape with icy blue eyes tinged with red.

His long thin fingers tapped the arms of his thrown rhythmically, as if he were tapping along to music only he could hear. Finally, he spoke. His voice was low, but with a strange sibilant quality.

"Snape, you said you had something to tell me?"

Snape slowly raised his eyes until they met those of his master. He swallowed before trying to speak. He knew that his master would not take his news well.

"My Lord," he said, ducking his head respectfully. "I was following Dumbledore like you commanded. He met with a prospective divination teacher in the Hogshead. I was outside the door, and I heard something strange. The divination teacher, she sounded normal, but then she went odd."

"Odd how?" Voldemort asked.

"Her voice was originally soft and distant. She was trying her fortune telling act on Dumbledore, but he didn't fall for it." Snape swallowed at this point. He took a deep breath and continued. "She suddenly sounded harsh, almost angry. I believe it may have been a prophecy that foretells your destruction, my lord."

Voldemort was silent for several moments. He didn't show it, but he felt fear gnawing at the pit of his stomach. He had never believed in divination, but he couldn't take any chances where his life was concerned. Maybe Snape was wrong.

"What did it say?" he asked finally.

"The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches, born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies," Severus recited quickly, hoping if he said it fast, his master wouldn't punish him.

"That is it?" Voldemort asked relaxing. This prophecy may not be referring to him at all.

Snape shook his head. "No my lord, I only heard half of the prophecy. I was unable to hear the rest. The barkeep caught me listening and threw me out."

Pain exploded through his body. It felt as if every nerve had been lit on fire. His screamed of agony rang through the room. He tried to draw a breath0, but couldn't. It felt as if someone had dropped a lead weight on his chest and was pressing it down upon him, crushing the air out of his lungs.

Finally, the pain stopped. Snape raised his head. It felt like it weighed twenty pounds. He stared blearily at his master.

Voldemort paced back and forth. The red in his blue eyes had brightened, and they were glowing like two burning blue coals. Rage and fear battled for mastery within him. This could not be. He had done too much to allow himself to be killed. He would not be defeated. The wizarding world had to be saved. It had to be protected from the muggles, at all cost.

Voldemort raised his wand, and pointed it at Snape. He should kill him. Then no one else would know of the prophecy.

Snape waited. Green light glowed at the tip of Voldemort's wand. He knew what that meant. His master was preparing to cast a killing curse at him. He knew he should be afraid, but if this was his masters will, then so be it. Soon, it would all be over.

Voldemort opened his mouth, and paused.

Dumbledore would know of the prophecy, so killing Snape in a fit of temper would do him no good. In fact, it could harm him. Severus was an excellent potions master, and able spy. He may have more uses in the future. Besides, killing his own servant was no way to reward him for bringing him such valuable information, even if he didn't like what that information was. Voldemort slowly lowered his wand. He knew something Snape could do.

Reaching down, he helped Snape to his feet. With a wave of his wand, Voldemort conjured a chair. Another flick and he handed Snape a cup of steaming tea.

"Severus," he said gently. "Forgive me for my treatment of you. I had no right to torture you just because you brought me information I didn't like." When Snape nodded, Voldemort continued. "Now, I have a job for you. If you complete this job, you will be rewarded for your service to me."

HPC

Nine months later

Lily leaned back against her pillows, exhausted. She stared down at the two infants in her arms. Her greatest wish had come true. She smiled tearfully, and kissed each infants head. She and James had done it. They had an heir for the Potter Family and another beautiful baby boy too.

"Thank you," James said kissing her forehead.

Lily's smile widened. "You helped," she said cheekily, "a bit."

James scowled playfully. "You couldn't have done it without me."

Lily allowed James to take the boys, and snuggled deeper into her pillows. She yawned cutely, feeling sleep tugging at her.

"Sleep," James said. "They'll be here when you wake up."

Lily made an indistinct sound in her throat, and her eyes drifted closed. The last thought she had before drifting off, was of the family she would have. Now that her wish was fulfilled, nothing could ruin her happiness.

HPC

Unnoticed by the occupants of the room, Vivienne stood in a corner watching as James held the two infants. She would be watching closely to make sure Lily kept her word. If Lily failed in this, there would be consequences.

HPC

Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, James's best friends, entered the room quietly. The two men made their way over to the bed where Lily slept.

"How is she?" Sirius asked softly.

James, who had been dozing in a chair beside the bed, jumped slightly. He scowled at his two best friends before grinning.

"She's fine, just tired. Would you like to see the boys?"

Sirius and Remus both Smiled and nodded eagerly. James stood, and as he did, Lily woke, and stretched. She looked over, seeing Remus and Sirius. She smiled wearily.

"Hey you two, come to see the babies?"

Sirius and Remus made noises of ascent as James walked back over. They looked down at the two infants. They were as different as they could be.

One babe was short and slightly chubby, with red hair and hazel eyes. His arms and legs were short and stubby. As they watched, He began to whimper. James handed him to Lily.

"He's hungry," James said chuckling, holding the other baby more securely. Remus and Sirius turned their attention to this child. It was immediately apparent that there was something unusual about this baby.

He was awake, but he didn't cry like most newborns would. He looked around the room curiously. His eyes were emerald green, like Lily's. They appeared to glow in the dim light of the room, and seemed to gleam with curiosity.

Where his brother was short and chubby, he was long and slender. His hair was as black as James's, but where James's hair was always perpetually untidy; the babies lay flat upon his head.

"He has Lily's eyes," Remus observed mildly.

James shrugged, looking at his sons eyes. "We are happy about that. Lily noticed that right away." James grinned. "He'll be a real heart throb when he gets older."

Sirius nodded. "I'll teach him all I know."

Lily frowned at him. "No you will not. My son is not going to be a man whore."

"Hey," protested Sirius. "I never got paid for my services. A nice and generous bloke like me wouldn't dare charge."

Remus snorted, and whacked Sirius on the head. "They were free alright. The muggles called the sixties the error of free love, but you took it to a whole new level. Was there any witch at Hogwarts that you didn't sleep with?"

"Lily," Sirius said promptly.

"Only because James was infatuated with her."

Sirius opened his mouth to retort, but Lily cut him off. "Children," she said loudly, not in front of the babies."

"Speaking of the babies," James said. "What are we going to name them?"

There was silence in the room for several moments. Everyone stared at each other thoughtfully. "What about Harry James Potter," James said touching the baby with the green eyes."

Lily smiled at him. 'That sounds perfect. She kissed the other baby's forehead. "What about Brian Charles Potter for this one?"

"Perfect," James responded. He handed Harry to Lily and took Brian from her. The two parents cuddled their new children. At this moment, they couldn't be happier.

HPC

Later that night, Lily lay in her hospital bed, watching James and the babies sleeping nearby.

"Remember your promise," a voice said from beside the bed.

Lily turned to see Vivienne sitting in a chair smiling at her. "You scared me," she said smiling back.

Vivienne had been there for the past nine months. She had watched over her, and monitored her pregnancy to insure that the sterility curse had been broken. Lily was grateful to the beautiful elf for her help.

"I kept up my end of the bargain," Vivienne said gently. "Do not forget about yours."

Lily shook her head. "I promise I will be the best Mother I can be." Reaching out, she squeezed Vivienne's hand. "Thank you for all your help."

"Everyone deserves to have a family," Vivienne said wistfully. She stood up, and made her way over to the sleeping infants. She gently touched Harry's forehead. "There is one more thing I'd like to ask of you."

Lily looked at Vivienne warily. "What's that?"

"I'd like to be Harry's godmother."

Lily's eyes widened. "Why? You never said anything about this before."

"I told you that I never had a child of my own," Vivienne said softly. "I wish to be involved in this child's life."

"I'll have to talk it over with James," Lily began, but Vivienne shook her head.

"You made the deal with me without consulting your husband," she said sternly. "Can you not exceed to this request as well?"

"James doesn't know you," Lily protested. "He'd never agree."

Vivienne paused. "You can tell him I am the one that helped you conceive. I will come around to your house, so that he can get to know me. He can make Sirius or Remus Harry's godfather if you like, but I'd like to be his godmother, please?"

Lily sighed. Vivienne was right. What would be the harm? Sirius or Remus could be Harry's godfather. James would be satisfied with that. "Alright," she said finally. "You can be Harry's godmother.

The smile that lit up Vivienne's face could have lit up the whole of London. "Thank you, Lily," Vivienne said happily. "I promise you I will be the best Godmother I can be."

HPC

The next morning, Lily and James talked about the children's godparents.

"I'd like Sirius to be Harry's godfather," Lily said. "Do you think he'd agree?"

James nodded. "I don't see why not. Remus could be Brian's godfather, but what about their godmothers?"

"Alice Longbottom for Brian, definitely," Lily responded. She hesitated. "I'd like another friend of mine, Vivienne to be Harry's Godmother."

James frowned. "I don't remember a Vivienne from Hogwarts.

"She didn't go to Hogwarts," Lily explained. "I met her about nine months ago, and she helped me get pregnant."

James's eyes widened. "She was the one to remove the sterility curse?"

Lily nodded. "Yes, I want to show my gratitude for her help.'

James thought for several moments. "Why didn't you tell me about her?"

Lily hesitated. "I was just so happy that I was pregnant. I guess I just didn't mention her. I didn't mean to hide her from you."

James was silent for a few more minutes. "I'd like to meet her, but if she checks out, I don't see a problem with it."

Lily smiled. "Good," she said relieved.


	3. Three Chapter 3

_**Three**_

It had been over a year since the Potters had been born. Vivienne had visited the Potters, and James had agreed that she would be a fine Godmother to Harry.

Lily and James couldn't have been happier. Their two boys were growing fast and seemed as healthy as could be. Each boy was different, however, not only in looks but in temperament.

Harry was quiet. He only cried when he was hungry or needed changing. Otherwise, he was a perfectly happy baby. Even when he started teething, he hadn't become fussy or cried.

He seemed happiest when Lily was reading to him, so that became hers and Harry's thing. She would take Harry on her lap, and read. It didn't seem to matter what the book was, just as long as she was reading to him.

Brian Potter was a completely different story. For the first week after they brought him home, he had cried almost constantly. Even now, when he was a year old, he still woke James and Lily up in the middle of the night, screaming for food, or just to be rocked.

Unlike Harry, Brian did not like being read to. He would much rather be flying on a broom with James, riding his toy broom around the house, or stuffing his face with food. He was also prone to throwing fits when he didn't get his way.

"It's just a phase,' James said when Lily had mentioned this to him. "He'll grow out of it.'

Lily wasn't so sure, but she hoped James was right.

And so it was, each parent had the child they were closest to. That didn't mean they loved either child more or less than the other, just that they could identify with one child more than the other.

Lily, who had been more studious as a child, had loved to read, and it appeared that Harry had taken after her.

Brian, on the other hand, was very active, and seemed to love spending time with his father.

It was now late October, and Lily was making costumes for Harry and Brian's first Halloween. She was excited to take them trick or treating around Godric's Hollow. What she didn't realize was that she would never get the chance to take them out for candy this Halloween. Their happy family was about to be changed forever.

Severus Snape knelt before Voldemort. He bowed his head and waited for his master to speak.

"Severus,' Voldemort hissed. "You said that you had news for me?"

Snape gulped. "Yes my lord,' he said. "I got the names you wanted."

"Voldemort nodded. "Who are they?"

Slowly, Snape withdrew a piece of parchment from his robes and unfolded it. "Daphne Greengrass was born on the 27th of July 1980. Neville Longbottom was born on the 30th and the Potter twins were born on the 31st, also in 1980."

Voldemort sat stroking his chin with one finger. These families were not remarkable in themselves.

The Greengrass family was a neutral pureblood family. They had not sided with him, but neither had they opposed him. Was it possible for their daughter to be the author of his destruction?

The Longbottoms were another pureblood family, but they were firmly entrenched in the service of the light. They had escaped him three times as well, and their son had been born on the 30th of July. '_Their son would be a much more likely candidate for the prophecy. _

Lastly, there was the Potter family. Again, they were an influential pureblood family, but they had been known to marry muggles and muggleborns in the past. _'And Lily Evans is a muggleborn,'_ Voldemort thought, _'so their sons would be a halfblood like me.'_

Voldemort slowly looked up at Snape. "I will need to consider these children carefully. You have done well to bring me this information. You may go."

Snape bowed, and quickly left the room. Voldemort leaned back in his chair, staring fixedly at the closed door.

He could not afford to act rashly. If he did, he would be killed. He was not fool enough to think that his precaution against death was undefeatable, but which child should he choose?

He did not think the Greengrass girl was a threat. He was well aware her family had never done anything to him. He had no reason to attack them, and they had no reason to attack him.

The Long bottoms had opposed him from the beginning. Alice and Frank were high ranking auroras. It was plausible that their son would grow up to follow in their footsteps. Yes, the Longbottoms were a threat regardless of the prophecy. They would have to be dealt with.

The Potters troubled him almost as much as the Longbottoms. James was another high ranking auror, and Lily worked for the unspeakables, 'that mysterious office based in the ministry, but not part of it.'

They were the greatest threat to his power. He could send some of his servants to dispose of the Longbottoms, but he wanted to take care of the Potters himself.

Albus Dumbledore appeared on a hill overlooking a small valley. A man stood with his back facing him. Drawing his wand, Dumbledore disarmed the man.

The man spun around His eyes widening as he recognized Dumbledore.

"Please don't kill me," the man pleaded.

"I am not a Death Eater Severus," Dumbledore said calmly. "Why did you request this meeting?"

"The Dark Lord has decided to go after the Potters," Snape said a note of urgency in his voice. "He's going after Lily."

"Surely your master would not harm someone that his servant cared for. Why don't you just ask him to spare her life?"

"I tried," Snape nearly whined. "He said he would give her a choice, but he wouldn't promise anything."

"What about her sons," Dumbledore asked mildly, "will he spare them as well?"

Snape sneered. "They are his true targets. He wants to kill them before they can kill him," Snape explained a definite tone of satisfaction in his voice.

"And you do not care about that?"

"They are Potters brats. Why should I care if they are slaughtered like pigs?"

Dumbledore glared at Snape, His blue eyes chips of ice. "You would condemn innocent children to death? Children who had nothing to do with your quarrel with James Potter? You disgust me. You are truly one of Voldemort's followers. Nevertheless, I will warn the Potters, but I will try to protect all of them, not just Lily."

Snape's shoulders slumped in relief. "Thank you," he said. "I just want to make sure Lily is safe."

"I am not doing this for you," Dumbledore growled. "I'm doing this for the Potters. Before I go, think of this. How do you think Lily would feel if her husband and sons were murdered in front of her? Do you really think she would turn to a Death Eater for comfort?"

Snape Winced. "Potter…" He began only to be interrupted.

"We all must take responsibility for our actions," Dumbledore snapped. "You chose to become a Death Eater and you must live with that choice."

Snape started to retort, but Dumbledore had vanished.

Scowling, Snape kicked a rock in frustration. No one understood him. It was all Potters fault that he had become a Death Eater. If Potter hadn't humiliated him, if he hadn't stolen Lily, things would have been a lot different. He would never have joined Voldemort. He would be married to Lily, and they would probably have a child of their own now. He scowled so hard his forehead hurt. He would show them all. He would save Lily, and then she would realize the mistake she had made by marrying Potter, but would he take her back? No, it was high time she knew how it felt to be abandoned and left out in the cold.

Smiling at the image of him walking away from a crying Lily, Snape vanished in a swirl of robes.

Vivienne watched Snape pacing back and forth. This man was nothing more than a petulant little child who blamed others for his own mistakes. Worse yet, his actions had endangered Lily and the children.

Vivienne wondered if she should deal with Snape now. He was a traitor and a coward. No one would miss him if he disappeared. She could kill him, but would that serve any practical purpose?

'_No,'_ she decided. _'It would not do for Snape to die,'_ she thought. _'Someone might wonder why he'd gone missing.' _

Vivienne decided that she would watch him for now. If his actions hurt Lily or the children she would decide what to do then. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sly voice behind her.

"Well well well, what do we have here?"

Vivienne turned to see a short man with long matted brown hair. Squinting beady black eyes, the little man stared at her chest.

"Who are you?" He asked.

Vivienne stared at him coldly. "No one you need to concern yourself with. Go away before you get hurt."

The man laughed. "I'm going to have a lot of fun with you. The dark lord will not mind I'm sure."

Vivienne stared at the little man. This had to be a coincidence. There was no way Voldemort would have had Snape followed right now. She watched as the man stepped forward, reaching out with one grubby hand.

"Last chance baby," he said leering at her. "Why don't you participate? It'll be better for you that…"

He broke off and began to choke. Vivienne slowly raised a hand.

The man gurgled and coughed. Water began to run in torrents from his eyes, nose and mouth. His eyes widened with fear. His hands clawed at his throat leaving long deep scratches.

"I never liked little pricks that enjoyed hurting people," Vivienne said conversationally.

Before the man could speak, Vivienne snapped her fingers.

The man exploded wetly, spattering blood and awful everywhere. Calmly, Vivienne turned away from the mess she made and vanished. She had a Death Eater to follow.

Lily stared at Dumbledore in horror. This couldn't be happening. They had just gotten their family. Voldemort couldn't be coming after them directly, not now.

"You have to be wrong," Lily said frantically. "The prophecy has to be referring to someone else."

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not," he said gently. "Rest assured we will do all we can to protect you."

"Why didn't you tell us about this before?" James asked. "You knew as soon as Harry and Brian were born that this prophecy could apply to them."

"I did not know how much of the prophecy Voldemort was aware of. I thought it best to leave well enough alone until I had more information."

James Scowled. Dumbledores reasons made sense. It would have been pointless to make them worry for no reason, but he would have preferred to know about the possibility that Voldemort would come after them directly. "What do we do now?"

Dumbledore stroked his beard. "Do you have anyone you would trust with your lives?"

James nodded. "Sirius," he said without hesitation.

"You are sure," Dumbledore asked intently. "You know beyond doubt that Sirius would not betray you?"

"He would never betray us," Lily said quietly. He may be a bit reckless, but he would never willingly lead Voldemort to us."

Dumbledore nodded. "Good," he said, "Because what I am going to suggest is very dangerous, and will only work if you trust the person implicitly."

"The fidelius charm?" Lily asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "An immensely complex spell," he said his voice taking on a lecturing tone. "It hides a secret in a person's soul. That secret cannot be divulged unless the person willingly does so."

"We'll talk to Sirius. I'm sure he'll agree to do this for us."

"Good." Dumbledore stood up. "I need to go talk to the Longbottoms. The prophecy could apply to them as well. I do not believe Voldemort would come after them, but they could still be in danger."

"Will you suggest the fidelius charm to them as well?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I will make them the offer I'm going to make you. Do you want me to be your secret keeper?"

James and Lily thought for a moment. "No," James said finally. "No offense professor, but we want to use Sirius."

Dumbledore smiled reassuringly. "I understand completely. Just remember that the offer is still on the table if you want it."

Sirius nodded emphatically. I'll be happy to help.

James Grinned. "Thanks mate. We didn't know who else to ask."

Sirius smiled, but then frowned. "I don't know if this is a good idea."

Lily looked confused. "What do you mean? You don't think the charm is a good idea?"

Sirius shook his head. "It's not that. I don't know if me being the secret keeper is a good idea. I'm too predictable. Voldemort would suspect that I was your secret keeper."

James leaned forward. "Are you suggesting we use Remus?"

Sirius shook his head again. "Remus is too obvious. If you didn't choose me, you'd choose Remus. We need someone that they wouldn't suspect us using."

There was silence for several moments. Everyone was having the same thought. Finally, Lily voiced their thoughts allowed, although she didn't sound happy. "What about Peter?"

Sirius nodded. "That is what I was thinking. No one would ever suspect we would use Peter. We could even put him in hiding too. It's perfect."

Peter Pettigrew was another one of James's best friends.

He was a small plump man with watery eyes. He had always been the quietest of the group, never actively participating in the pranks the others use to play in school, but cheering them on from the sidelines. James, Sirius, and Remus had always thought Peter couldn't hurt a fly, but Lily wasn't so sure.

She had always liked Peter, but she never understood how he got in to Gryffindor. He wasn't brave by any stretch of the imagination. He wouldn't jump into battle. He would always be at the back of the line, where there would be plenty of people between him and the enemy.

How could they trust him with their lives? What if Peter was captured? Would he divulge their location to Voldemort? Lily was afraid that the answer to that question might be yes.

James, unaware of Lily's thoughts, nodded slowly. "Yeah," he said softly. "Voldemort wouldn't ever see that coming, but wouldn't that make you a decoy?"

"That's the plan," Sirius explained. Voldemort would be coming after me. Peter wouldn't be in any danger."

Lily was silent. She didn't like this idea of Sirius's. On the surface it looked like a sound plan but…

""Are you sure we can trust Peter?" Lily asked hesitantly. "After all," she continued. "He's not the bravest person." Afraid of how that sounded, she hurried on. "I don't mean he's not nice enough, but could he stand up to torture? Because if Voldemort captured him, we all know that he would torture any of us if he thought we had information for him.'

"I know," said Sirius Gravely, "But could any of us stand up to torture for extended periods. I don't know the answer to that, and neither do you. None of us have been tortured for hours and hours. That's why I would be a decoy. My family was dark as you know. We were all tortured from child hood to insure that we had a high pain tolerance. If Voldemort captured me, I couldn't tell him anything, even if I did break. It is the ultimate protection. We can put Peter under a Fidelius charm to. He'll be perfectly safe, and so will you and James."

"Have you asked Peter what he thinks of your plan?"

"Lily, Peter will agree. He's been mine and James's friend since first year."

Lily gave up. There was no point in arguing with Sirius when he was like this.

Dumbledore sighed as he went over paperwork in his office. Everything was going according to plan.

Sirius would try and outsmart Voldemort. He always believed himself to be cleverer than he actually was. Soon, Peter would be the secret keeper, and then he would tell Voldemort what he knew, sealing the Potters fate.

A tear ran down his face. Why did things have to be this way? The Potters were his friends. Why must they be sacrificed for the greater good?

'_It's for the best,'_ he thought. _'This will save the wizarding world. Even I must make sacrifices, even if those sacrifices are some of my dearest friends.' _

_He thought back to his conversation with Snape. Was he not a hypocrite? He had called Snape a true Death Eater for not caring about James and his son's deaths, but he was planning to sacrifice them to Voldemort. How was he any different? _

'_I care,' he thought vehemently. 'As long as I care, I have not fallen to the dark.' _

_On his perch beside the door, Fawkes gave a mournful trill. Dumbledore, intent on his paperwork, didn't even notice. _

Peter Pettigrew looked at Lily and James, his eyes wide with shock.

"Me?" he squeaked disbelievingly. "Why would you want me as your secret keeper? I'm nobody," he finished his shoulders slumping.

Despite her misgivings, Lily felt a tug in her heart for the small man. It wasn't his fault that he wasn't brave. Maybe if he did this for them, it would boost his self-confidence. Besides, by accepting this, maybe he was brave. After all, there was a chance that Voldemort would come after him.

Kneeling in front of Peter, she took both his hands in hers. "You are somebody," she said firmly. "The sorting hat placed you in Gryffindor. That means that you are brave.

Peter blushed. "But," he began before being cut off by James.

"You will be protected Peter," James said gently. "You will be in no danger. We can help you go into hiding too."

Peter snorted inwardly. Hiding for the rest of his life, fearing that the dark lord was coming for him at any moment; that didn't sound like much of a life to him, but what could he say. He had to agree. If he didn't, Lily and James might suspect something was wrong.

"Alright," he said finally, a resigned expression on his pale face. "When do we cast the charm?"

Later that night, Peter paced the floor of his apartment in agitation. The charm had been cast. He was now the Potters Secret keeper. The Dark Lord would want to know where the Potters were as soon as possible. He shivered. He knew what he had to do.

James and Lily just didn't understand what it was like to be him. Despite what Lily thought, he wasn't brave or courageous. He wasn't a great wizard. If the dark lord asked him where the Potters were, he would tell him. What else could he do? Voldemort was going to win anyway. There was nothing to be gained by standing against him.

Voldemort sat up straight as Peter entered the room. He immediately noticed that his shoulders were slumped, and he was staring down at the floor.

"Peter," Voldemort said silkily. "Why are you here at this late hour?"

Peter took a deep breath. It wasn't too late. He could still leave. He could go to Dumbledore and tell him everything. There was still time to save his honor.

"Peter," Voldemort said gently. "Do you have something you want to share with me?"

Peter gulped. This was it. What was he going to choose, the lady or the tiger, honor or disgrace? Taking a deep breath, Peter looked up at the dark lord. "M-m-master," he said his voice trembling. "I-I-I know wh-where the Potters are."

A terrible smile spread across Voldemort's face. "You have made the right choice Peter, and you will be rewarded. Now, tell me everything."

Voldemort appeared across from a vacant lot. He sneered as he saw the children running around in costumes that were supposed to be scary.

The muggles had turned this Holiday into a joke. It was no longer the day of the dead as it once had been, but no matter. When he ruled, he would teach them all to honor their dead. He heard a tiny sound to his right, and turned to see Pettigrew standing there, looking miserable.

"Master,' he whimpered. "Why do I have to be here? I gave you the information you wanted, can't that be enough?"

Voldemort smiled at the small man. "You need to be here because I want the Potters to know where your loyalties truly lie." He placed one hand on Peter's shoulder. "You have nothing to be ashamed of,' he said gently. "I would have found the Potters anyway. I promise you that their deaths will be quick and clean. Think of your being here as a final test of your loyalty if that helps."

Pettigrew trembled even harder. It was only now that it was too late that he realized what he'd done. Anyway you looked at it; he'd condemned his best friends to death. He hated himself for his weakness. He really didn't want to follow Voldemort into that cottage. He didn't want to see the Potters faces when they realized he had sold them out to their enemy, but he had no choice. His master had commanded it, and he must obey.

'Lily and James will never forgive me,' he thought. 'It is too late to back out now. I have chosen my side, and now I must see it through to the end, whatever that may be.

Taking a deep breath, Peter Pettigrew followed Voldemort across the street.

As the two men stepped onto the vacant lot, everything changed. There was a shimmer in the air, and then a three story cottage stood before them. Voldemort's smile reappeared.

"You have done well, Peter," Voldemort said silkily. "You will be rewarded once this is over."

Peter shuddered. He didn't want a reward. He just wanted everything to go back to normal. He wished he'd never heard of the Death Eaters or Lord Voldemort.

Voldemort looked around at the small three story cottage before him. It was quaint. Maybe he could live here once he ruled the wizarding world. It would be a good way to confuse his enemies. Approaching the door, Voldemort knocked politely.

Inside the cottage, James heard the knock. 'Who could that be,' he wondered as he stood up. He could hear Lily putting the twins to bed upstairs. He walked over to the door, and grasping the handle, prepared to open it.

He happened to look out the window in the door, and his eyes widened. He recognized the blue eyes tinged with red that were staring at him. 'How did he find us,' his mind screamed. The answer to that was obvious, when James saw his old friend, Peter Pettigrew standing behind Voldemort.

"Peter," James whispered. "What have you done?"

James turned to run upstairs to Lily, but the door exploded behind him with a deafening crash.

"Hello James," Voldemort said cheerfully, as if he was greeting an old friend and the thought of committing multiple murders had never crossed his mind. "How are you? I just thought I'd drop in for a visit."

James turned to face Voldemort, drawing his wand.

"I will not let you hurt my son," he said firmly. "I'll die to protect my family.

Voldemort chuckled, raising his own wand. "James James James," he said as if scolding a misbehaving child. "I've only come for the children. Stand aside and let me pass. You and Lily need not die. You are both still young. You can have plenty of children. It is only your twins that need to die. No one need ever know. I can rewrite your memories so that it appears you put up a courageous fight, so what do you say? Just let me pass. You are a pureblood wizard. I'd rather not kill you if I didn't have to."

James stood his ground. It was terrifying how Voldemort could speak of murdering his children like it was an unpleasant but necessary course of action, just something that had to be done. He squared his shoulders, and stared Voldemort in the eye. "Never," he snarled. "I'll never let you kill my children."

Voldemort pointed his wand at James's chest. Why couldn't people just do what he asked? There would be a lot less death if they just quit fighting him.

Very well James," he said resignedly. "Remember, I tried to reason with you."

James barely avoided the jet of green light that soared towards him. He flicked his wand at the sofa, and it became a snarling wolf, which leapt at Voldemort.

Voldemort, still smiling, waved his wand almost casually at the wolf, causing it to explode into bloody fragments, before turning back into a pile of wood. He fired another killing curse at James, but he ducked and returned fire with a blazing red light.

Voldemort ducked the spell, which blew a hole the size of his head in the wall behind him. Scowling, he slashed his wand through the air.

James grunted as a long gash appeared across his chest. Blood began to soak his robes. He whipped his wand through the air, a bright blue flame shooting from the tip.

Voldemort howled in agony as his right hand was set ablaze. Enraged, he unleashed a wall of emerald green flame which roared towards James, burning the carpet and wood to ash as it came.

James made a complicated wave with his wand, and the wall of flame turned to ice, which shattered under its own weight. Panting, he directed his wand at Voldemort, and the razor sharp shards of ice flew through the air, slamming into Voldemort, who screamed again as thousands of tiny cuts appeared on his hands and face. Dark red blood began to stain his robes.

Peter watched the fight with growing horror. James was holding his own against his master. He might even win, but Peter doubted it. James was slowing due to blood loss. Soon, his master would hit James with the killing curse and it would all be over. Peter hesitated. There may be a way for him to save James, and partially redeem himself, but what would his master do to him?

James's muscles ached with every movement. He couldn't go on like this much longer. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a red light coming towards him. He tried to duck, but he was too slow. The red light hit him square in the back and he fell to the floor, unconscious.

Voldemort looked down at the fallen man before him. He could kill him, but it was time that people saw that Voldemort was not all about murder. He would leave the parents alive, and only kill the children. After all, there was no need to kill the parents.

He looked over at Peter, who still had his wand raised.

"You have saved your friends life; it is possible he will remember that in the future."

Smiling to himself, Voldemort walked up the stairs towards the nursery. Peter following him reluctantly.

Lily crouched in front of the crib, her wand pointed at the door. She saw a figure enter the doorway, and fired a powerful stunner at the center of the figure. The figure simply batted the spell away. Lily heard a soft chuckle that raised all the hairs along her arms.

"Lily, is that any way to treat a visitor?"

"You killed my husband," Lily shot back. "You're a murderer not a visitor."

"Such accusations," Voldemort said gently. "I assure you that your husband is fine. He is simply stunned. Feel free to go and check on him. I'll look after your children for you."

"You mean kill them," Lily snapped.

"My dear," Voldemort said in a soothing tone. I am not a monster; I take no pleasure in this. This is simply something that must be done. I was told that they could be my downfall. For the good of the wizarding world, they must die."

Lily shuddered. Voldemort was truly evil. How could he sound so calm at a time like this? Lily knew she was going to die, but she would not let him harm her children. "I will not allow you to kill my babies," Lily said firmly. "You will have to kill me first.

Voldemort stepped into the room. He brushed a strand of hair out of his face, and looked at Lily pityingly. "My dear, one of my servants, Severus Snape, asked for your life to be spared. Don't make me kill you. You needn't die; all you have to do is stand aside."

Lily's eyes widened at the mention of her old friend. Then her expression hardened. "I'll never let you have my sons,' she said harshly. "You'll have to kill me first."

Voldemort sighed, and gestured with his wand. A bright bolt of red light hit Lily in the chest before she had time to react, and she crumpled to the ground.

Voldemort stepped over her, and stared down at the two infants. The chubby one lay on his back, one thumb in his mouth, his eyes closed in sleep."

The other child stared up at Voldemort, its emerald green eyes filled with curiosity.

"Well hello there," Voldemort said smiling at the child. "Aren't you a strange one?"

\The child blinked and smiled back at Voldemort, revealing one tooth in his mouth.

Voldemort stroked the top of the child's head with one long finger. It was really a shame that the boy had to die. Voldemort could sense untapped potential in him. It would have been great to take the boy as his heir, but alas such a thing could never be.

"I am truly sorry, little one," Voldemort said raising his wand. "I will make this as quick and painless as possible." He pointed his wand at the child's forehead. "Avada Kedavra," he intoned solemnly.

A jet of green light flew from his wand and hit the child squarely in the forehead. The baby let out a cry of pain and grabbed his forehead.

To Voldemort's shock, the child's eyes turned from emerald green to a golden green like cats eyes. He pulled his hand away from his forehead, and the green light came with it. Voldemort could see a bloody cut in the shape of a bolt of lightning on the child's forehead. He looked at his killing curse resting in the child's hand.

What was he doing? It appeared that he was playing with the curse, reshaping the deadly energy into a ball of pulsating green light.

"Noooo," Voldemort screamed as the child threw the ball of green light back at him.

Every window in the cottage blew outward with a tinkling crash. Voldemort, for his part, was thrown violently backward. His body seeming to disintegrate as he fell, by the time he hit the floor, he was nothing but a pile of ash.

One of the flying pieces of glass had made a ragged slash across Brian's chest. He awoke and began to wail.

Harry had lain back down in his crib, and fallen into a peaceful sleep.

Peter stared at his fallen master. This was not supposed to happen. He was supposed to leave under his master's protection. His master was supposed to win.

Peter turned to flee, and froze. A woman with long auburn hair stood before him. Her golden green eyes were glowing and an expression of utter fury twisted her lovely face.

"You will not escape your punishment, Peter Pettigrew," she hissed. She touched Peter on the forehead with one slender finger. Peter fell to the ground, unconscious.

Stepping over Peter, Vivienne looked down at Harry. She examined the bloody cut on his forehead. Gently, she stroked one finger along the cut. As her finger moved across it, the cut closed, leaving no sign that it had ever been, save a barely visible mark in the shape of a bolt of lightning.

She examined the ragged slash on Brian's chest next. It was too deep to heal and not leave a scar, but she would do what she could. As she had done with Harry, she ran her fingers along the cut and watched it close, leaving a small scar stretching the length of the child's chest. She kissed both babes on the head.

"Sleep now Children," she said gently. "I'll stay until help arrives." A few minutes later, Vivienne heard feet pounding up the stairs. She watched Dumbledore run into the room. She saw his eyes widen as he saw Lily on the floor, unconscious, but clearly still alive. He didn't even look at Peter, but hurried to the children next.

His eyes widened when he saw the ash on the floor, and the scar on Brian's chest.

"He healed himself, and destroyed Voldemort. He is truly the child of the prophecy."

'Uh-o,' Vivienne thought as she watched Dumbledore gather Brian into his arms. With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore awoke Lily.

Lily sat bolt upright. "My babies," she said frantically.

"They are fine," Dumbledore said reassuringly. "Brian stopped Voldemort.

"Brian," Lily spluttered. "But how is that possible? He's only one."

Dumbledore shrugged. "I am unsure as to how it happened, but Brian Potter is The-Boy-who-Lived.

Vivienne winced as Lily took Brian into her arms and began hugging and kissing him. It appeared she had completely forgotten about Harry. Vivienne had a bad feeling about this. Unseen by Dumbledore and Lily, she moved closer to Harry, and gathering him into her arms, she rocked him gently as he slept.


	4. Four Chapter 4

Four

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office sucking on a lemon drop. He sighed in contentment. This was the life. He felt years younger now that the war was over. He knew that Voldemort would return some day, but that would not stop him from enjoying this time of peace. Over the past year, The Ministry of magic had gotten back to normal, or as normal as it ever got.

all of the Death Eaters had been rounded up. Some had been released due to claims of being under the imperius curse while others were sent to Azkaban.

The public outcry against these indeviduals had been enormous. The wizarding people had called for every Death Eater to be executed, but the ministry had refused, sighting that most of these Death Eaters were from influential pureblood families.

Dumbledore sighed. He didn't understand why people couldn't let things that happened in the war go. These poor souls had been seduced into evil acts by Voldemort.

True, the Death Eaters had made many mistakes, but the time for fighting was over. It was time to forgive lest they drive the Death Eaters back to their dark ways. Luckily, things were beginning to calm down.

Lucius Malfoy, one of the people claiming the imperius curse, had made many generous donations to ST. Mungo's, the wizarding hospital. The publics opinion towards the Death Eaters began to turn after that. Many of the other pardoned Death Eaters had been given jobs at the Ministry. Dumbledore thought this was a great idea. It was helping them readjust to society after their time with Voldemort.

A knock on the door drew Dumbledore out of his musings.

Dumbledore rose and opened the door of his office, revealing the Potters.

"James, Lily," he said smiling. "Thank you for coming."

James nodded shaking Dumbledore's hand warmly. "How are you doing, Albus?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Surprisingly well, you wouldn't believe how relieved I am that the war is over, at least for now."

"For now?" Lily asked. "What do you mean for now? Voldemort is dead, isn't he?"

Dumbledore shook his head. Sitting down in his chair, he gestured for the Potters to do the same. "How are your children?" he asked as he poured himself a cup of tea, before offering the pot to the Potters.

"They are fine," James said pouring tea for himself. "Brian is flying his broom everywhere. Harry spends most of his time reading. He's a little strange, to be honest.

Lily smiled. "I haven't had time to read to him lately. I'll need to do that. I don't want Harry to feel left out."

James frowned slightly. "Brian is the one who stopped Voldemort. It's only natural he would get more attention."

Lily looked at James, scowling. "That doesn't mean we should ignore Harry."

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Brian will need training.' At the Potters raised eyebrows, he continued. "Voldemort is still alive. Brian will need to be ready for when he returns."

"Can't he have a childhood?" Lily asked. "I would prefer that my son not be trained to be a weapon. He needs something to live for when Voldemort has been dealt with."

Dumbledore nodded. "We'll start his training in a couple of years. I just wanted you to be aware that it would need to be done."

James stood, Lily following him. "Is there anything else?

Dumbledore hesitated. "Have you considered sending Harry away? His brother will be famous, and he'll be receiving training that Harry will not. It may be kinder to send Harry to liv with someone else so he won't feel neglected."

James ran his hand through his hair. "Who did you have in mind?"

Dumbledore smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. "I was thinking of your sister, Lily. Didn't you say her name was Petunia?"

Lily glared at Dumbledore. "Absolutely not," she snarled. "Petunia hates all things magical. I will not subject Harry to her treatment. Besides, I will not choose one child over the other."

Dumbledore raised a hand placatingly. "It was only a suggestion," he said hurriedly. "I did not mean to offend."

Lily relaxed slightly. "Is that all?" At Dumbledore's nod she turned and left the office.

Dumbledore stared at James after Lily left. "We'll need to watch her. She'll need to dedicate more time to Brian. He is the chosen one, and will need to be treated accordingly.

James nodded. "I'll keep you posted."

"Good," Dumbledore said picking out another lemon drop. "I'll see you in a couple of weeks."

James left the office, and followed Lily down the spiral staircase that led to the office. He didn't like doing this, but it had to be done. Brian needed as much love and attention as possible because some day they may not have him anymore.

HPC

Vivienne sat on Harry's bed reading a storybook to him. Lily had always read him wizarding stories, but Vivienne had found an old-fashioned charm in the muggle fairytales. The little boy was giggling as she told him about Pinocchio and his nose that grew every time he told a lie. Vivienne stroked his hair lovingly.

"I'll have to teach you not to lie when you get older," she said teasingly. "Or your nose may start to grow."

Harry yawned seeming unconcerned about having a giant nose, and snuggled into her side. Vivienne laughed, and kissed his forehead. "Sleep little one," she said quietly. "I'll be back to read to you soon."

Vivienne tucked Harry into his bed and dimmed the light. Leaving the room, she went to check on Brian.

Brian was currently riding his toy broom around the den under the watchful eye of his Godfather, Remus Lupin.

Vivienne frowned. She thought lily said no riding the broom in the house.

"Hi Vivienne," Remus said smiling. "I take it Harry is asleep?"

Vivienne nodded. "I just finished reading to him." She watched Brian narrily avoid crashing into the wall. "I thought Lily said no riding the broom in the house?"

"He's just playing," Remus responded. "Besides, James lets him do it all the time."

Shrugging, Vivienne turned to the door. "I'll be going now. Give my regards to Lily and James, won't you?"

Remus nodded and waved to Vivienne as she left.

Vivienne walked down the street deep in thought. She had seen what she needed to. Harry was safe and happy for the moment, but she was concerned.

Lily and James had not been spending a lot of time with Harry lately. True, the war was over, and they believed Brian was the savior of the wizarding world, but had they forgotten about Harry? It had been a year. Wasn't it time for things to settle down? Harry needed to feel loved just as much as Brian did.

Vivienne thought of the deal she'd made with Lily. Had Lily Violated their agreement?

'_No,'_ she decided. James and Lily weren't completely ignoring Harry. She would continue to watch. If Harry began to be neglected anymore she would act, but she didn't want to accuse Lily of breaking their deal unless it was her only option to protect Harry. Harry was hers, and she would allow no harm to befall him, even if that meant protecting him from James and Lily.

HPC

James and Lily walked through the front door of Potter manor laughing. Remus, hearing their entrance, smiled down at his Godson.

"Brian, guess whose home?"

"Da," Brian called running to the door.

James scooped his son up and ruffled his hair. "How were you for remus?" he asked as he carried him into the den.

"He was fine," Remus answered. "He's been playing with his broom.'

Lily scowled at Remus. "I thought I asked you two not to let him ride the broom in the house?"

Remus shrugged sheepishly. "He stopped Voldemort," he mumbled.

Lily sighed. She knew that was just an excuse to let Brian do what he wanted, but she didn't want her son to be a spoiled brat. She would talk to James about it later. Brian didn't need to be riding his broom in the house. He might get hurt, or break something. For now, she turned the conversation to another topic. "How's Harry been this evening?"

"Fine, Vivienne came buy and read to him. I heard him giggling so I assume he had a good time. He's asleep now."

"Vivienne's gone," Lily asked. "She didn't stay to see Brian?"

Remus shook his head. "She only spent time with Harry. She fead him, gave him a bath, and read to him."

Lily frowned. Why hadn't Vivienne stayed to see Brian. Didn't she care about him? Brian was Lily's son too. She should be spending time with him as well as Harry.

HPC

The next evening, Harry got a book out of his room and carried it to Lily.

"Momma," he said handing her the book. "Read?"

Lily handed him the book back. "Not now, Love," she said gently. "Brian wants cookies. I'll read to you later, Okay?"

Harry was confused. Why didn't his Mommy want to read to him? She used to read to him all the time. Had he done something bad? Maybe that is why she didn't want to read to him. If he said sorry, would she read to him then?

"I sorry, Momma," Harry said bowing his head. "I sorry I was bad."

Lily stopped on her way to the kitchen, and turned back to Harry. "You haven't been bad, honey," she said softly. "Mommy just doesn't have time to read to you right now. I'll read to you in a little while, I promise.

Harry nodded his head. "Okay, Momma," he said cheerfully. He turned and headed back to his room. Hhe couldn't wait for his Momma to read to him. It was the only time he saw her anymore.

Hours later, Harry was still waiting. his Momma would be ready to read to him soon, and he would wait for her.

HPC

While Harry waited for Lily to read to him, Lily was tucking Brian into bed.

"Goodnight," she said kissing him on the cheek. "Sweet dreams."

Brian smiled up at his Mother. "Cookies good Momma," he said sleepily.

Lily smiled as she closed the door. Her son had saved them from Voldemort. He deserved the best. She heard a door open behind her, and turned to see Harry.

"Momma read now?" he asked holding up his book.

Lily yawned. "Not tonight Harry, Mommy is tired. I'll read to you another night." She followed Harry into his room and tucked him in bed. "Goodnight," she said leaving the room.

Harry rolled over in bed. He hadn't even gotten a kiss goodnight. He must have been really bad.

He heard a rusle of air and felt a weight setle on the bed.

"Hi Love,' Vivienne said softly. Seeing his sad face, she frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Momma doesn't have time to read to me anymore," Harry said sadly. "She only has time to spend with Brian."

Vivienne's frown deepened. She wrapped her arms around Harry, hugging him tight. "What if I read to you," she said gently.

Harry's face lit up. "Really," he said.

"Really," Vivienne confirmed with a chuckle.

Jumping out of bed, Harry picked up a book from a small table and hurried back to Vivienne.

Vivienne took the book from him. She was amused to see it was Jack and the Beanstalk. She lifted Harry on to her lap and began to read.

"Once there was a boy named Jack. He lived with his Mother in a small cottage. They were very happy, but they didn't have much moneyvery."

HPC

Three years passed, and Harry began to become obscure in his own family.

His Mother, who had once read to him every night, and tucked him in with a kiss now spent all of her time doting on Brian. She rarely even aknoledged he was there. His father ignored him completely, but that was nothing new.

Brian became spoiled and selfish. Whatever he wanted he knew all he had to do was scream for it, and he'd get it. He had quickly figured out that Harry was ignored, and delighted making Harry watch Lily or James spend time with him.

With every passing day, Harry felt more and more alone. His Mommy and Daddy didn't care about him anymore. Even his Godfather, Sirius, forgot about him.

There was only two things he looked forward to and those were visits from his Godmother, and his birthday.

His Godmother was the only one who seemed to love him. She always brought him presents, and read him stories. She never failed to come in and give him a goodnight kiss. She had even begun teaching him magic. He could now make things float, not even Mommy and Daddy could do that without a wand. He liked his birthday for another reason.

His birthday was the only day where his Mother eknolledged him. Today would be different, though. Sure, he didn't get any presents, but at least he saw his name on the cake and got a kiss from his Mum. Harry treasured each birthday like a priceless jewel. Seeing his name on that cake made him feel like his parents hadn't forgotten him completely, and today was his birthday.

He hurried down the stairs and entered the kitchen. What he saw there broke his heart. Tears began to run down his small face.

There were his parents and brother sitting around the kitchen table. A pile of presents were in front of Brian, and in the middle of the table was a giant birthday cake with Brian Potter on it in emerald green icing. Brian Potter, and no other name.

'They forgot about me,' he thought miserably. Slowly, he trudged out of the room, head down. This was the worst birthday ever.

Vivienne watched as Harry walked awayhis small shoulders slumped. This was the last straw. James and Lily had gone too far. Rage was rising inside of her. She had given them every chance to correct their actions, but they had not. She could not allow this treatment of Harry to continue any longer. It was time that they learned why you never break your word to the fae.

Vivienne stepped into the kitchen. "Lily Potter," she thundered her voice making the windows rattle. "Do you know what you have done?"

Lily turned to the doorway, her eyes wide. "Vivienne, what are you doing here? Have you come to Brian's birthday party?"

"Brian, Brian," Vivienne shrieked. "Did you forget about Harry? It is his birthday to.'

"Harry," Lily asked. "Of course it is his birthday. What are you so…" Her eyes fell on the birthday cake, and widened.

"Where are his presents," Vivienne hissed. Her eyes were blazing, and her skin seemed to be glowing faintly. "Why isn't his name on the cake?"

"Brian is the Boy-Who-Lived," James spoke for the first time. "He needs more attention than Harry.'

Glaring at James, Vivienne snapped her fingers. Both James and Brian slumped in their chairs, unconscious.

Lily screamed. "What have you done?" She ran to Brian, cradling him in her arms.

"Relax," Vivienne said calmly. "I have merely put them to sleep so we could talk, and believe me, we have much to discuss."

"What are you talking about? I have done nothing to offend you."

"Do you remember our deal?" Vivienne asked conversationally. "Do you remember the only thing I asked in return for helping you have a child? Do you remember what you promised?"

Lily thought back to that conversation so long ago. She felt her heart sink as she remembered what she had promised.

"I promised to be the best Mother I could be," she whispered.

Vivienne nodded. "You promised to love any children you had. You have not kept that promise."

"The war… Brian…" Lily began, but Vivienne cut her off.

"The war is long over. I gave you four years to correct your mistake. I've watched you ignore my Godson. I watched as he wasn't tucked in at night, as he didn't get presents at his birthday or Christmas, and finally, I watched as you forgot to put his name on his birthday cake. I know it is such a small thing, but it is the last straw. I declair our deal broken, and I will now take what is mine."

"You can keep your supposed savior. I am taking my Godson away from here, so I can give him the love and support he needs."

"No," Lily whispered. "Give me a chance to fix it."

"Fix it," Vivienne snarled. "You can not fix five years of neglect with a hug and a few presents."

"You knew this would happen," Lily spat suddenly furious. "That's why you wanted to be Harry's Godmother. Why didn't you try and stop it? Why did you let me ignore my son.?"

"Free will," Vivienne whispered. "Besides, if I would've told you what was going to happen would you have believed me?"

Lily opened her mouth to say yes, but then she paused. The truth was she probably wouldn't have believed Vivienne. "I never meant for this to happen," Lily whispered brokenly.

Vivienne's expression softened. "You will see Harry again," she said gently, "but I can no longer allow him to be neglected."

Turning, Vivienne started to leave the room. She paused at the door. "I will leave it up to Harry. If he wishes to stay; I will not take him to Avalon."

Lily fell to the floor as Vivienne left the room. Her body shook with sobs as the reality of what she had done hit her. She had lost her son, and she had no one else but herself to blame.

She straightened suddenly. She would not let Vivienne take him. Deal or no deal, she would keep Harry here, and she would make up for her mistakes. She drew her wand and headed for Harry's room.

Vivienne was almost to Harry's door when she heard footsteps behind her. Turning, she saw Lily walking towards her, wand drawn, and a determined glint in her eyes.

"Will you fight me?" Vivienne asked calmly.

"Yes,' Lily snarled. "I will not allow you to take my son. I may have made some mistakes, but I'll fix them, whether you approve or not."

Vivienne felt her respect for Lily rise. "Very well," she said solemnly.

As Lily watched, Vivienne changed.

She grew taller, and her pale skin began to glow with a bright ethereal light. Her ears lengthened and became pointed at the tops, Her eyes changed from golden green to a pure glowing gold, and her nails lengthened into short lethal looking clause.

"What are you?" Lily asked horrified.

"The fae are natural shapeshifters,' Lily answered. "We can change from one shape to another as easy as breathing. This is the shape I prefer when I am going into battle."

Lily raised her wand. None of this mattered. She would stop Vivienne, at all costs. She fired a powerful blasting curse at her son's godmother.

Vivienne waved her hand. A wall of ice appeared before her. The blasting curse struck this, and fizzled out.

"You will have to do better than that," Vivienne taunted.

Lily fired a chain of stunning spells, and ending with a cutting hex.

Vivienne blocked all but the cutting hex, which made a deep gash above her right eye. Silver blood ran down her face from the wound.

Vivienne wiped the blood away, and looked at it fixedly. The blood began to bubble. Slowly, it hardened. It shifted and rithed as if it were alive, twisting and lengthening until it became a three foot silver sword.

Vivienne took careful aim, and swung the sword at Lily's wand. There was a crack and a shower of sparks and Lily's wand fell to the carpet in two pieces.

"Our battle is over,' Vivienne said gently. We are both unharmed. Let it end here.

"No," Lily hissed, forming a ball of blue flame in her hand. "You will not take my son." She hurled the ball of flame at Vivienne.

Vivienne flicked her hand. The ball of fire froze in mid air. It fell to the floor and shattered.

Swiftly, Vivienne stepped forward, and placed a palm on Lily's forehead.

"Sleep," she said forcefully.

Lily slumped to the ground fast to sleep. Stepping over her, Vivienne removed the silencing ward she had placed on Harry's door. She slowly opened the door, changing back to her normal form as she did so.

"Go away," Harry said from underneath his covers.

"It's me Harry," Vivienne called shutting the door behind her.

Harry pushed the covers off, and rushed over to Vivienne, throwing his arms around her. "Sorry," he said. "I didn't realize it was you."

Vivienne kissed his forehead. "No harm done," she said. "I came to ask you a question."

Harry looked up at Vivienne curiously. "What kind of question?"

Vivienne stared deep into his emerald green eyes. "Would you like to come and live with me? I promise you will get all the love and attention you could ever want."

Harry's eyes widened. This could be his best birthday ever. "Really," he said in an excited whisper. "I could come and live with you?"

"Really," Vivienne responded.

"Yes," Harry said excitedly. "That would be great, but what about my Mum and Dad? They would never agree to it.'

Vivienne smiled. Snapping her fingers, she produced a roll of parchment out of thin air. "Your Mother broke her word," Vivienne explained laying the parchment on Harry's bed. "That means that I have all rights to you."

Harry sat thinking for several moments. Finally, he nodded his head and took Vivienne's hand. "Okay," he said, but will you tell me what promise she broke?"

Vivienne thought for a moment. How should she phrase this?

"Your Mother," she began hesitantly. "Your Mother had trouble having a baby. I came to her and offered my assistance, but under the condition that she love and cherish any children she had. By ignoring you, she broke that condition."

Harry nodded, and looked around his room. "Do I need to pack anything?"

Vivienne shook her head, "Allow me."

Vivienne's eyes glowed golden briefly, and all of Harry's clothes and possessions vanished from the room. "are you ready to go?"

Harry nodded. With a rustle of air, Vivienne and Harry both vanished, leaving Harry's room with no sign that he'd ever been there."


	5. Five Chapter 5

_**Five**_

Lily awoke slowly. Where was she? She felt around. She .was on a hard wooden surface. She blinked. She was lying in the hallway outside Harry's room. Wait? Harry?

She sprang to her feet and ran into the room. She looked around at the barren walls. She stared at his bookshelves.

They had once been full of books, but now they were empty, not one book remained. She hurried to his closet and jerked the doors open.

All of Harry's clothes were gone.

"No no no,' she said rapidly.

She ran down the hallway to the kitchen. James and Brian were slumped over the table. Lily pointed a finger at them.

"Innervate," she said her voice quivering.

James and Brian sat bolt upright. "Lily," James said. "What is going…" He stopped when he saw the look on Lily's face.

"Harry's gone," Lily said dazedly.

"Gone?" James said. "What do you mean gone? Has he run away?"

"He-he was kidnapped," Lily said haltingly.

"We'd better call Dumbledore,' James said at once.

HPC

Half an hour later, Dumbledore arrived. He listened as James said Harry was kidnapped. He frowned. This was not part of his plan.

It was true that he'd wanted Harry out of the way, but he'd wanted to be able to keep an eye on him. After all, it would not do for the brother of The-Boy-who-Lived to turn dark. Now that plan was in tatters.

"What exactly happened,' Dumbledore said. "Why wasn't Harry with you and lily on his birthday?"

Lily shifted uncomfortably. She didn't want to have to tell Dumbledore what she thought. He was one of the most respectable wizards in the magical community. What would he think of her? Finally, she took a deep breath, and began to explain.

"Harry slept until about half past nine, and then he came running down to the kitchen. He walked in, and then he just turned right around and left."

Dumbledore nodded. "I see," he said calmly. "What would have caused such a reaction? Do you have any idea?"

Tears began to run down Lily's face. "We forgot," she said brokenly.

"Pardon?" Dumbledore said confused.

Lily pointed to the cake, and then to the presents. "We forgot to put his name on the cake. We forgot to get him presents." Lily laughed harshly. "The sad thing is I don't know how long this has been going on."

Dumbledore nodded. "What makes you think Harry's been kidnapped? It seems to me that he could have run away.'

Lily shifted. "Vivienne," she said almost too soft to hear. "She took him.'

Dumbledore was confused. "Who is Vivienne?"

"Harry's godmother," Lily explained. She helped break the sterility curse on me. She is the one who took Harry."

Dumbledore frowned deeply. He asked Lily to explain the sterility curse. After Lily had finished, Dumbledore stroked his beard in thought.

No wizard could've broken the curse placed upon Lily. They just didn't have sufficient power. Slowly, he made his way down the hallway to Harry's room. He stood in the center of the room. He concentrated, opening up all his senses.

Most people didn't realize that wizards could sense magic, and recognize what creature it belonged to. It was an old trick that had fallen out of favor, but Dumbledore had made sure to learn it when he was young. Now, he used it to try and determine what Vivienne was.

As his senses opened, his vision sharpened until he could see the pours in the paster of the walls. He took a deep breath. He could smell earth, fire wind, and water, and something that smelled like baking Gingerbread. He needed more information. He concentrated so hard that his head ached, and blood began to trickle from his nose. Slowly, an image began to form.

Harry was lying on his bed, tears running down his face. A woman with long auburn hair walked into the room. Dumbledore noticed her golden green eyes. His eyes widened. What was a fae doing here?

He watched as the woman snuggled Harry. He continued watching as she tucked the covers around him and kissed him goodnight. It was clear that this woman loved Harry very much.

Dumbledore allowed his sight to fade and fell back against the wall, exhausted. This was not good. Had Lily knowingly made a deal with the fae?

Why would she do such a thing? She knew that it was expressly forbidden to have dealings with the fae.

Slowly, Dumbledore turned and left the room. He made his way back to the kitchen. Sinking into a chaor, he looked at Lily sternly.

"Did you know that it was one of the fae that helped you have a child?"

Lily squirmed under his stern gaze. "Yes," she whispered almost too softly to hear.

Dumbledore's blue eyes were hard. "You are aware that summoning the fae and making deals with them is an act punishable by death?"

Lily stiffened. She glared at Dumbledore. "I didn't summon her," she said through gritted teeth. "She came to me, and offered her help. She didn't ask anything that was too difficult to give."

Dumbledore relaxed slightly. This was unprecedented. The fae had never offered their aid without being asked. "What exactly did she ask for in return?"

Lily lowered her head. "She didn't."

"What?" Dumbledore asked surprised. "She asked for nothing for herself?"

Lily shook her head. "All she asked was that I love any children I had to the best of my ability."

Dumbledore was confused. "Why would she take Harry? You have loved Brian and Harry to the best of your ability. Did she break her word? The fae are not supposed to be able to do that."

Lily was shaking her head. "I did break my word,' she said beginning to cry. "James and I paid more attention to Brian over the years, and nearly forgot about Harry. When we forgot to put Harry's name on the cake, Vivienne said that our deal was broken."

Dumbledore nodded. "That sounds like the fae, but I am surprised that she waited this long to declaire the deal broken, but then Vivienne was always strange, even for a faerie," Dumbledore finished thoughtfully.

"You've heard of her, Albus?" James asked speaking for the first time.

Dumbledore nodded. "When I apprenticed with Nicholas he mentioned her. He said Vivienne was far more powerful than Merlin ever was. According to him, she could bend time and space to her will. Her elements to control were air and water, but she could not have the one thing she wanted."

"Which was?" James asked.

"A child," Dumbledore said quietly. "She wanted a child more than anything, but she was unable to have one for whatever reason." He paused as he finished speaking.

More tears ran down Lily's face. She could feel her heart breaking. "she has one now," she said quietly.

Dumbledore nodded. "Vivienne is the queen of Avalon," he said. "I'll try to find a way there. We can try and get Harry back, but it'll take time."

Lily nodded vigorously. "Please,' she said softly. "I want my son back."

Dumbledore nodded. He placed a hand on Lily's shoulder. "We'll get him back, I promise."

Lily sniffled. "Thank you, Albus." She turned to James. "Are we good?"

James smiled at his wife. "Yes love," he said hugging her. "We wouldn't have a child if you hadn't talked to Vivienne. We still have one child, and we'll get Harry away from that woman."

Lily hugged Jame back. Reaching over, she pulled Brian into the hug. He'd been awful quiet through all this. Was he alright? As if answering her question, Brian spoke.

"Can we have cake now?"

HPC

Sirius belched loudly. He banged his glass back on the table and sighed sadly. He looked around the room blearily.

The waste basket was full of licker bottles. Half eaten food littered the floor, and takeaway boxes were stacked three feet high in the corner. Dirty dishes were stack in the sink.

He had been here, in his apartment for the last few days. He had gotten a warning from work two days ago. It informed him that if he didn't return by the next morning, his employment would be terminated.

Sirius didn't care.

Sirius didn't care about any of this. All that mattered to him was that he had failed. He reached for another licker bottle.

"Why are you doing this?" a voice said.

Sirius blinked at the woman sitting across from him. She hadn't been sitting there a minute ago. He was pretty sure of it.

She was short and plump. Small pudgy hands were folded on the table in front of her.

She looked at Sirius with soft blue eyes.

"Who're you," Sirius grunted. "I didn't call a hooker."

The woman scowled at him, her eyes flashing. "I'm no whore, Sirius Black, and if you call me one again I'll make sure you can never again enjoy the pleasure of a woman, got it?"

Sirius snorted. "Like I haven ever heard that before."

The woman didn't appear to be listening to him. She was staring around the room, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "Do you ever clean your house?"

Sirius shrugged, and didn't answer. The woman turned back to him. "I ask you again. Why are you doing this?"

"Someone took my godson," Sirius laughed hollowly. The sad thing is, I didn't know him at all. I spent too much time spoiling his twin brother.

The woman nodded. "What would you do if I told you I knew where Harry was?"

Sirius sat up straight. He looked at the strange woman, his grey eyes sharp and attentive. "You know where he is? Where is he?"

The woman raised her hand. "You didn't answer my question. What would you do if you found Harry? Would you go and tell his parents? Would you return him to them?"

Sirius started to say that of course he would tell James and Lily. They were his parents, and he belonged with them, but then he paused.

James and Lily had been spending almost no tome with Harry over the past two years. The poor kid had been left alone. If it hadn't been for Vivienne, there would be no telling how the boy might have turned out.

"No," Sirius said quietly. "James and Lily had their chance." He grimaced. "So did I, to be honest. I just want to make sure Harry is alright. If Vivienne agreed, I'd like the chance to make it up to him. I never meant to ignore him."

The woman nodded. "Alright," she said, and just like that, she was gone.

Vivienne sat in the chair across from Sirius. She smiled at the expression of shock on his face. "Vi-vivienne?" Sirius whispered. She nodded.

"Where's Harry? Is he safe?"

Vivienne smiled. "He's at my home. Now," she said, "We need to get back to business. You said that you wanted to establish a relationship with Harry?"

Sirius nodded. "Yes," he said eagerly. "I just want to be there for him."

"Do you swear not to reveal his location to James and Lily?"

"I swear," Sirius said solemnly.

Vivienne stood up, and reached out for Sirius's hand, "Come on then."

Sirius hesitated. Where are we going?"

"My home, of course."

Sirius took Vivienne's hand and with a rustle of air, they vanished."

HPC

Brian lay in his warm bed. He smiled happily. This had been a great few weeks.

It had all started on his birthday. Harry had run away, leaving all the attention for him. Sure, his Mommy had been sad for a while, but now she was paying attention him. Sometimes he wondered where Harry was, but on the whole, he was happy his twin was gone.

After all, he was the one who had stopped Voldemort. He deserved all the attention. As sleep began to tug at him, he thought of all the glory he would have once he went to Hogwarts.

He would be the most famous wizard at the school, aside from Dumbledore. He would rule the school, but that was a long time from now. He had plenty of time to prepare for Hogwarts.

HPC

Lily Potter lay in bed listening to James snore. She smiled. His snoring was so adorable. She loved her family.

Her husband was so sweet and loyal, and her darling son was the most precious child she had ever seen. As sleep claimed her, she thought of how lucky she was to have such a good family. A small niggling voice asked _'What about Harry?'_

The thought caused a thread of disquiet to rise inside of her. Who was Harry? Was he one of James friends? She yawned. It probably wasn't important. She would worry about it later. She slipped into sleep.

Contrary to Lily's belief, James was not asleep. He lay staring up at the ceiling. Guilt twisted inside of him.

What had he done? He was manipulating his wife's mind. That was illegal in all magical courts. Of course, he told himself that it was all for the good of his son, but he knew better.

He liked having a wife that obeyed him without question. The fact that she wasn't herself was beside the point.

'No,' he thought savagely. _'This is the way things are. Brian needs this. What does it matter if I enjoy the side effects of this' solution. Lily is my wife. She's supposed to do what I say.' _

At this thought, James's mind calmed._ He began to look at things objectively. _

Brian would grow up to stop Voldemort, and James and Lily would be his parents. They would be famous, and the Potter family would be known as the family that produced the slayer of the worst dark lord in history.

James sank into sleep, dreaming of the awards his son would bring his family.


End file.
